


To the Rescue

by crimsonkitty



Category: Naruto
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Team Bonding, long suffering kakashi, silliness, super sakura to the rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-23
Updated: 2015-03-23
Packaged: 2018-03-19 04:36:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3596589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsonkitty/pseuds/crimsonkitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sakura saves the day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To the Rescue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Indecisis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indecisis/gifts).



> I've been thinking a lot about how seeing people draw fanart of Kakashi without his mask was really starting to bother me and why exactly that was. This fic is a sort of reaction to that. Also my inherent need for more Sakura and Kakashi bonding. I'm not fully happy with how it turned out but whatever. Thank you to Claire.

Years later, they'll decide in hushed whispers that it was the wind that did it. A fateful sudden burst on a clear day that no one could have predicted in combination with walking a little too close to a nearby tree. 

They're returning home from a scouting mission when _it_ happens. One minute they're enjoying the summer weather and the thought of being home in their own beds. Sakura is humming and folding flowers into a chain. And the next a strong gust blows along the path followed by a noise of surprise and the sound of ripping material. 

As one, the three junior members of Team Kakashi turn toward the sound and collectively freeze in place. 

Kakashi's visible eye is wide as tatters of cloth fall around his neck. A hand flies up to cover his now exposed face. 

The only movement is the traitorous tree branch, broken and swaying against the trunk. 

The four of them stare, silently. 

“Oh my god,” Naruto whispers. 

Sakura recovers her wits first. Immediately, she springs into action. 

“Everyone close your eyes! This is not a drill!” she yells and watches until Sai slams his eyes shut before doing the same. 

A soft snicker comes from behind her and she grabs her medical tape out of her pouch, throwing it with deadly accuracy. 

“ _Naruto, close your eyes or I'll pound you_.” 

She hears the muffled yelp with satisfaction.

Reaching back into her pouch, she grabs for her extra rolls of bandages and lobs them in her sensei's general direction. “Take these, Kakashi-sensei!”

“Wait, Sakura. Wai- _ow. Ow_.” 

“Don't worry! You can use those!” she calls towards the sounds of pain. “Just tell us when it's okay to look again, sensei!” 

“...right.” 

For a few moments all they hear is the occasional sigh and the soft swishing of bandages being unwrapped. Sakura makes a growling noise in Naruto's general direction when she feels him start to move. 

“Alright.” 

She opens her eyes to the sight of her team leader swaddled in bandages, looking slightly put out. Naruto instantly collapses in laughter. 

“You look like a mummy, Kakashi-sensei!” He raises his arms in front of him and begins to moan like the monsters on late night television. 

Sakura takes two steps to her right and punches him in the back of the head. She pulls her strength at the last second, thinking any real damage that came out of this wouldn't be worth having to deal with it. Naruto falls to the ground, senseless.

“Told you I'd pound you,” she mutters. 

“Sakura-” Kakashi starts, looking alarmed. 

Sakura looks up at him hopefully. “I knew this would happen one day, sensei. So I've been stockpiling!” 

Kakashi blinks. 

“The bandages! I thought it would be weird if I carried around an extra mask for you and it would just take up space in my pack if you never used it, so I thought bandages would be a good compromise. We can never have enough of those, especially when Naruto is on our team.” 

Kakashi keeps looking at her, stunned. 

In the following silence, Sakura is struck by the thought that the bandages might not be enough. What if it's disrespectful using bandages instead of the mask? What if there was something different about the material that the bandages can't replicate? Maybe she should have done more research. Or just brought the extra mask anyways, space in her pack be damned. Suddenly, her forethought when packing earlier looks stupid. 

“Is it... Is it alright?” she asks hesitantly. “Will it work?” 

Kakashi blinks at her again. Then his eyes close in a smile. 

“Yes,” he says, gently placing a hand on her head. “It'll work. Thank you, Sakura.” 

Sakura beams at him. 

“Alright!” She proclaims, dusting herself off. “Then we should get going. Naruto. Sai,” she calls over to where Naruto is still clutching at his head and Sai is frowning down at him in an approximation of concern. 

“Get up. I don't have any more bandages to fix you up with. And anyways, you should be more careful, Kakashi-sensei!” She rounds back on her teacher, who jerks back. “What if I'm not there next time?” she demands, pointing a finger at him. “No one else is going to pack an extra three rolls of bandages to cover for you.”

He holds up his hands in a placating gesture, hoping to fend off Sakura's attacks and the abrupt change from the happy girl that was in front of him only seconds ago. 

“Don't worry, Sakura. I'm sure it'll be fine.” He scratches at the back of his bandaged head and chuckles carelessly. 

She stares at him until his laughter dies out. 

“I promise, Sakura,” he says, gently, leaning over and looking her in the eye. “I'll be more careful.” 

She narrows her eyes at him for a moment before nodding. “Good.” Her smile breaks out once more. “I'm glad I could help.” 

They continue on down the path, The Incident past but not forgotten. Naruto periodically clutches at his head and Sai bends over his sketchpad, immersed. Kakashi has his newest book open in front of him but he walks next to Sakura the whole way, instead of behind. 

A few hours later, Sai lets out a noise of appreciation from ahead and they all come up over the hill to see Konoha and the great gate spread out before them. Sai holds up his sketchpad to show the charcoal village with its peaks and valleys and tiny people alongside the real thing. Sakura grins at him. 

“It's beautiful, Sai.” 

Naruto throws an arm up in the air and cheers. “Finally! I'm starving! Let's hurry and we can beat the dinner rush. Team leader's treat,” he says, grinning at Kakashi. 

“It'll be good to be home,” Kakashi admits, ignoring Naruto's maneuvering. “Even wrapped up like this.” 

“You look fine,” Sakura tries to reassure him. “Like a really tough guy! No one will say anything.” 

“It really looks fine, Kakashi-sensei,” Sai says with what Sakura is sure he thinks is a comforting smile. “Everyone will think you were in a great battle.” 

Kakashi laughs and shrugs, snapping his book closed. “I suppose it doesn't really matter, in the end. I'll change after we report.” 

“Hmmmm,” Naruto hums thoughtfully, always a bad sign. 

Sakura glares at him. “What?”

“I wonder what Gai-sensei will think,” Naruto muses, glancing back at Kakashi with a wicked gleam. 

Kakashi's eyes widen in horror.


End file.
